The most annoying cities in America

[Locutus]

In America's 'Most Bikeable' Cities, Bike Lanes Rule



The cyclists who participated in Friday's National Bike to Work Day likely planned their riding route with several criteria in mind, from convenience to safety. Those same concerns help determine how "bikeable" a town is, according to a new study by the Walk Score website. Among the factors: There's safety in numbers.

"The more people who are out biking, the more cars get used to seeing bikes — and also, the more drivers of cars have had the experience of biking," says Matt Lerner, co-founder of Walk Score.

As Lerner tells NPR's Melissa Block, Walk Score recently assigned a Bike Score to U.S. cities based on four criteria: the number of bike lanes and hills; the nearness of destinations; and the number of bike commuters.

Minneapolis tops the Bike Score list, followed by Portland, Ore.; San Francisco; and Boston.

Asked why Minneapolis is rated so highly, Lerner cites the city's trails — and its geography.

"I think it started in the age of glaciers, because the glaciers carved out these beautiful lakes," he says. "And Minneapolis built trails connecting all of those lakes."

Lerner says that despite its hilly geography, San Francisco tied with Portland on the strength of its extensive network of bike lanes.
New York made the Top 10 list primarily for its efforts to build new, and safer, bike lanes.

"For example, they have what are called parking-separated cycle tracks, where there's a barrier of parked cars between the traffic and the bikers — and that's a really great way to make bikers feel safer."

There's an easy way to tell if a town has succeeded in its approach to encouraging cyclists to ride, Lerner says.

"In bike research, they call older people and younger people 'indicator species,' " he says. "So if you see an elderly person biking, or you see a child biking, that's a good indicator that the city is doing a really good job with their bike infrastructure."

The full list of the "most bikeable" cities:

• Minneapolis
• Portland
• San Francisco
• Boston
• Madison
• Washington, D.C.
• Seattle
• Tucson
• New York City
• Chicago

Keep in-mind the open-minded source of this story too. :lol:

FOX = Commissioner Bele
NPR = Lokai

In America's 'Most Bikeable' Cities, Bike Lanes Rule : NPR

 

[Ron in Regina]

On that note though, bicycles are vehicles, and need to follow the
same "rules of the road" that other vehicles do, creating predictable
situations for themselves, motorists, & pedestrians. If this took place
consistently, I believe there would be a lot less animosity between
cyclists and motorists and pedestrians.

As a motorist, cyclists that ignore the rules of the road are a hood
ornament waiting to happen, and as a pedestrian, I'm much more
concerned with being run down by a cyclist on the sidewalk than I
am with a car on the road when I'm crossing in a crosswalk. That
creates animosity and divisiveness between cyclists and others,
that could easily be avoided as long as each cyclist though of
themselves as ambassadors between cyclists & non-cyclists.

 

[L Gilbert]

Bikes are great. Some of the idiots using them aren't. Bike lanes are great.......... when the people using bikes stay in them. I gave a cyclist a bit of breeze from my passenger side mirror when the asshat wouldn't use the bike lane. A meter and a half of bike lane and the idiot's on my side of the white line. And then he gives me the bird. I guess the moron doesn't understand that it's illegal to obstruct traffic without warning. It's why hyrdo trucks and whatnot have beacons and flaggers.

On that note though, bicycles are vehicles, and need to follow the
same "rules of the road" that other vehicles do, creating predictable
situations for themselves, motorists, & pedestrians. If this took place
consistently, I believe there would be a lot less animosity between
cyclists and motorists and pedestrians.

As a motorist, cyclists that ignore the rules of the road are a hood
ornament waiting to happen, and as a pedestrian, I'm much more
concerned with being run down by a cyclist on the sidewalk than I
am with a car on the road when I'm crossing in a crosswalk. That
creates animosity and divisiveness between cyclists and others,
that could easily be avoided as long as each cyclist though of
themselves as ambassadors between cyclists & non-cyclists.

Yep. When I'm a pedestrian, I am well aware that I am much more mobile and have greater visibility than cyclists and motorists.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Bikes are great. Some of the idiots using them aren't. Bike lanes are great.......... when the people using bikes stay in them. I gave a cyclist a bit of breeze from my passenger side mirror when the asshat wouldn't use the bike lane. A meter and a half of bike lane and the idiot's on my side of the white line. And then he gives me the bird. I guess the moron doesn't understand that it's illegal to obstruct traffic without warning. It's why hyrdo trucks and whatnot have beacons and flaggers.

Yep. When I'm a pedestrian, I am well aware that I am much more mobile and have greater visibility than cyclists and motorists.

When I'm a pedestrian, I'm usually walking two dogs on a 48" wide
sidewalk, and being passed by a mountian bike that comes up
behind me at speed on that sidewalk means I have to mobilize
up onto a lawn or out into traffic to avoid a collision. I'm pretty
good at seeing things coming towards me on a sidewalk. Not
so much for the non-motorized (=relatively silent) vehicles
that are illegal once they're on the sidewalks where I live,
unless they have a wheel diameter of less than 400mm, which
doesn't include mountain bikes with those wide handlebars.
I've had too many close calls to remain unbiased on this
topic.

 

[L Gilbert]

Yup. Bikes are VEHICULAR traffic and not for use on sidewalks. I don't move for any bike on the sidewalk. They have brakes and know I am there if they come up behind me.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Yup. Bikes are VEHICULAR traffic and not for use on sidewalks. I don't move for any bike on the sidewalk. They have brakes and know I am there if they come up behind me.

I move. If I have my dogs with me, they're either going to get hurt,
or hurt someone while they try to protect me. If the cyclist is already
on the sidewalk, they've already demonstrated that they're idiots with
a disregard of common sense and the law, and counting on them to
stop is being way too generious in my opinion.

If I can avoid that by bailing up onto a lawn or out into traffic between
vehicles, it's the lesser of the negative possible outcomes in
compenmsating for another's stupidity and disregard of the safety
of those that belong on the sidewalks.

On that same note, when walking my dogs, I also yeild to any other
pedestrians on the sidewalk, but I can do that as they come up on
you at a predictable speed for a sidewalk.

 

[L Gilbert]

I move. If I have my dogs with me, they're either going to get hurt,
or hurt someone while they try to protect me. If the cyclist is already
on the sidewalk, they've already demonstrated that they're idiots with
a disregard of common sense and the law, and counting on them to
stop is being way too generious in my opinion.

If I can avoid that by bailing up onto a lawn or out into traffic between
vehicles, it's the lesser of the negative possible outcomes in
compenmsating for another's stupidity and disregard of the safety
of those that belong on the sidewalks.

I'm likely a bit larger than you and have been pegged as being optically intimidating. Even though wifey calls me a hardcore mushbucket. lol

On that same note, when walking my dogs, I also yeild to any other
pedestrians on the sidewalk, but I can do that as they come up on
you at a predictable speed for a sidewalk.

Other pedestrians have just as much right on the sidewalks, for sure.

 

[Ron in Regina]

I'm likely a bit larger than you and have been pegged as being optically intimidating. Even though wifey calls me a hardcore mushbucket. lol

Yeah. I hear you. I'm 6'2" & 200lbs, but look lean...and someone on
a mountain bike would have an altered sense of perception (speed
and height, etc...). It's different when they're on foot and usually
looking up at me, but I hear you loud & clear and what you say is
very real.

 

[skookumchuck]

There are ongoing demands for more and better bike lanes and opportunities but none of them seem to want to pay for it. Bikes are designated as a vehicle and have the same rights as motor vehicles but do not have to pay for infrastructure via licensing and gas taxes.
Why not?

 

[L Gilbert]

Yeah. I hear you. I'm 6'2" & 200lbs, but look lean...and someone on
a mountain bike would have an altered sense of perception (speed
and height, etc...). It's different when they're on foot and usually
looking up at me, but I hear you loud & clear and what you say is
very real.

Well, you're taller than me. I'm only 6' but I am about 260 - 265 and would likely still pass the pack test that wildfire fighters have to pass (as well as the pump & hose test).
Perception definitely is a factor, though. I agree.

There are ongoing demands for more and better bike lanes and opportunities but none of them seem to want to pay for it. Bikes are designated as a vehicle and have the same rights as motor vehicles but do not have to pay for infrastructure via licensing and gas taxes.
Why not?

Cyclists don't pay fuel taxes, but they do pay taxes for bikes, pay taxes for tires and other parts, pay recycling fees for tires, etc. Besides, I pay taxes for kids to go to school even though my own kids are out of school.